Tourist arrival up 6 pc in May

KATHMANDU, June 1: Tourist arrivals to Nepal in the fifth month of 2010 recorded a slight improvement over the arrival figures in the same period last year. A total of 26,634 foreign tourists entered the country via air in May, which is six percent higher than the arrival figure recorded in May last year.



According to a press statement issued by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the arrivals from South Asian region, except for the arrivals from Sri Lanka, have gained overall positive growth of 6 percent with Bangladesh (30 percent) and Pakistan (26.3percent) registering positive growth. [break]



Arrivals from India, which has showed sustained growth this year except the soft decline in April, increased by 4.3 percent in May. Sri Lanka recorded negative growth by 53.7 percent in the review period, according to the statement.



China, the second biggest source market for the country, recorded double-digit growth of 35 percent in May. Arrivals from Japan also increased by 13.9 percent.



However, tourist arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia) declined by 3.7 percent. Arrivals from South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand also declined by 14 percent, 30.3 percent, 32.7 percent and 50 percent respectively.



European markets registered overall positive growth of 10.8 percent in May led by strong growth from major markets. Arrivals from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic and Poland grew by 4.9 percent, 14.2 percent, and 47.5 percent, 12.3 percent, 20.9 percent, 75 percent and 278.6 percent respectively.



However, arrivals from France and Italy marginally declined by 0.7 percent and 1.9 percent respectively. Arrivals from Spain and Sweden also recorded negative growth in the review period.



Though arrivals from USA grew by 10.4 percent, Australia, New Zealand and Canada recorded negative growth by 9.8 percent, 2.9 percent, and 3.2 percent respectively.



“Despite the global economic slowdown, Nepal has enjoyed a sustained growth in the international tourist arrivals, since June 2009,” NTB said.



Nepal´s major source markets, India and China in particular, have registered double digit growth in the review period, which is quite encouraging for the tourism entrepreneurs as well, the statement added.

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